Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State on Friday inaugurated Patience, the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, as a Permanent Secretary in the state.

Mrs. Jonathan was sworn-in alongside 18 other persons amidst tight security in a ceremony that was held at the Banquet Hall in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The venue was a beehive as selected women groups trooped to the area chanting songs to welcome the President’s wife.

Mrs. Jonathan, who arrived about 12.40 pm, walked straight to the hall on red carpet laid in her honour.

While other nominated permanent secretaries were seated two hours before the event, Mrs. Jonathan arrived later accompanied by Dickson. Mrs. Jonathan, who beamed with smiles, was the first to be sworn in by the Chief Registrar of the state judiciary, Mr. Nekede Eradiri, about 12.50 pm.

The President’s wife, who has been described as a super permanent secretary, stood before the governor and took her oath, vowing to be just and fair in discharging her responsibilities in the state’s civil service.

While she stood alone to take her oath, others were called by Eradiri to stand for their inauguration in batches of six.

Reading his charges to the permanent secretaries, Dickson said they were selected after due consultations, adding that the procedure adopted by the government was transparent.

According to him, nobody lobbied for the appointment and the government was not under pressure to choose the permanent secretaries.

He explained that the new permanent secretaries were selected from the list of the most senior civil servants in each of the eight local government areas.